Experts from around the world are gathering in Istanbul this week to examine the growing risks of behavioural addictions, including excessive internet use, gambling, shopping and disordered eating.
The 11th International Conference on Behavioral Addictions (ICBA), one of the world’s leading scientific gatherings in the field, opened Monday at Bogazici University in Istanbul in collaboration with Yesilay, Türkiye’s Green Crescent, an organisation founded to combat addiction.
The conference, which will run from Monday through Wednesday, is expected to bring together scientists and experts specialising in psychology, addiction and addiction prevention.
The event unites researchers, academics, psychologists, and health and social service professionals on a shared scientific platform.
Previously held in Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Gibraltar and France, this year’s conference marks its first time in Türkiye’s Istanbul.
In his speech, the president of Green Crescent, Professor Mehmet Dinc, underscored the changing nature of addiction and stressed that methods and scientific approaches to combating it must also evolve.
He emphasised that addiction is not determined solely by individual factors, with environmental and systemic factors also playing a significant role, stressing the importance of addressing all contributing factors in efforts to combat addiction.
“For many years, addiction was primarily understood through substance. Today, we are increasingly confronted with gambling, gaming, problematic internet use, and other behavioural addictions,” he added.
“Perhaps the answer lies in the interaction between all of them. This is particularly important in the digital age. Technology has transformed our lives, but some digital environments are also designed to capture attention, reinforce repetition, and maximise engagement.
